Petland recently honored exceptional store operators at the annual Petland Awards Banquet and Trade Show held in Kissimmee, FL.

The awards presentation included the Petland IMPACT Award, which highlighted a store that has made significant contributions to its community and the Petland family. This honor was presented to the Marquez Family, franchisees of Petland locations in Davy, Plantation, Pembroke Pines and Kendall, FL.

“The Marquez Family embraced their community with compassion and generosity from driving to dangerous parts of town to deliver Christmas presents to children in need, to donating one, sometimes two puppies a month to veterans with PTSD…These franchisees have impacted the lives of so many in their community,” said Elizabeth Kunzelman, director of public affairs, Petland.

The Nicholas Alexander Progress Award was presented to Petland Pickerington, Ohio for the time and resources the store dedicated to improving every part of its operation, from a remodel to additional training and implementation.

Steve Huggins, vice president of Petland, presented the Store of the Year Award to Steve and Lois Gauntt and Adam Berger, of Petland Racine, Wis. “It’s been amazing to watch this store grow,” said Huggins. “These operators invest in their team by attending every regional training opportunity. They invest in their sourcing by making countless trips to their breeders each year. They invested in a large expansion and complete remodel in 2016.”

The Store of the Year Nominees were also recognized:

Petland Knoxville, Tenn.

Petland Dallas Frisco, Texas

Petland Orlando East, FL.

The International Store of the Year Award was presented to Rodrigo and Ana Gisely from Petland Sao Luis, Brazil.

Finally, Presidential Awards were given to outstanding employees in each management department of the Petland store. The 2018 recipients are:

Pet Counselor of the Year: Elijah Carson, Petland Kennesaw, Ga.

Animal Care Technician of the Year: Yasmeen Ramos, Orlando East, FL.

Inventory Control Manager of the Year: JD Pasternack, Blue Springs, Mo. 

Manager of the Year: Stephanie Santoro, Petland Southeast Florida (Pembroke Pines, Davie, Plantation and Kendall)

To read more about how we spent the recent Dolphins vs. Jets game, check out our other blog, Petland Texas Attends the Dolphins vs. Jets Game.